I recently started working with a first grader for my TE 301 class. We started out with an assessment on book handling skills. We read a book and he was able to identify the beginning of the book, return sweep, punctuation marks, single words and other things that have to do with concepts of print. I thought that he would be at the right reading level after that assessment. But, when we were closing the session I chose for us to read a Dr. Seuss book. I asked him if he would read, but he did not want to. So, I said that I could start and then he could read a line or two. He agreed to this. He had a difficult time reading. He could read easy words like I, the, and at. But he could not read other words. He also had trouble sounding out words. He sounds them out but not correctly. He really seems to be behind. By first grade he should be able to read and not have so many difficulties. I wonder who is to blame for him not being able to read, it is for sure not his fault. I am curious as to whether or not it is his parent’s fault for not reading to him. I wonder if his parents not read to him as a child or did they care to encourage him to pick up a book and help him along. Also, it would be his teacher’s fault. He may have been that student that was able to squeeze by the grade without the teachers noticing or possibly the teacher did not want to pay special attention to him because they had other things to worry about. Either way, I feel that this child needs to be paid more attention and needs some extra help in order for him to start to read. It is not fair for him to be so behind. At this point, he will continue to be behind in every grade level if he does not get the help he needs now.
I see this issue a lot among the students I work with. I am also doing service learning hours right now for my TE 250 class and was completely shocked to learn about their language arts curriculum. The elementary school I am working in does not believe in correcting the students' spelling. The call this method "inventive spelling". This is an elementary school that includes first-second grade. These children are not learning to spell until they get a rude awakening in the seventh grade. Some of the educators do not even give their students spelling tests! This lack of spelling knowledge has to have some connection with the students' poor reading skills! The Lansing school district's language arts curriculum seriously needs to be reworked!
ReplyDeleteI can say by experience from working with little kids in the East Lansing areas, that i have seen first hand quite a few students in first grade struggling with the same issues. I am stumped though when it comes to pointing a finger towards someone to blame..I think it's difficult to single out one specific thing or person who is holding these students back. When i was a kid, my parents hardly ever read to me at night. In fact, my mom once said that she feels guilty for not reading to my siblings and me more often. Although, my parents lack of reading with me did not hold me back and I was in normal reading groups at school. One thing that did encourage me to read by myself though, is my teacher made us do reading logs and every kid had to read 20 minutes a day. At the end of the month, every student would turn in their monthly reading sheet and you would get graded on it (based on how much your read). I am not saying that parent involvement is not an important factor of a child's reading ability, because it is and my parents were very helpful in school, they just slacked in the area of reading. But, the monthly reading log ultimately encouraged my reading skills. I think that the scenario is different for every child and their reading skills depend on a number of factors, not just one. All in all, I think the bud of their struggles is very difficult to diagnose.
ReplyDeleteI understand your concerns with this student's reading. However, since you are probably new to working with this student and since you not his/her teacher or parent, be very careful with assumptions about their methods of learning! For example, "...did they care to encourage him to pick up a book and help him along," could be read as very offensive. So just be conscience of your words in reference to your students. 99 out of 100 times, PARENTS CARE! It might be different from how your parents cared for you if you grew up in an environment different than where you're teaching, but I'd bet my life on the fact that they care.
ReplyDeleteI've read this article numerous times through TE classes, and it is always a wonderful reminder to check yourself. Catherine Compton-Lilly's:
"Listening to Families over Time: Seven Lessons Learned about Literacy in Families." Comption-Lilly was very honest with her past assumptions and new found realizations in literacy in households of her urban classrooms. Nearly all of the adults she talked to valued reading, had texts at home for their children, valued education, and either went to high school or higher / were pursing further specialization for their careers. I suggest to look up this article as well as more of Compton-Lilly's readings.